CVS took down my review. That seems wrong! Adding it again! I'm using my wife's just to write this. I've honestly never felt the need to leave a review before, but I am beyond disappointed. I used to come to this CVS all the time, and now I barely come in anymore except when I absolutely have to. Ever since the new manager took over, this store has gone downhill fast. About a month ago in May, my wife and I were looking for an abdominal support brace. I asked a young man in a red CVS shirt, and he had no idea what I was talking about and told me they didn't even sell it. I then asked another employee I recognized, and he immediately apologized and walked me right over to the exact item. I told him they really need to make sure the new employees are trained properly. That's when he told me HE was the manager. I was honestly shocked. The previous manager I remember was a short Asian woman, and she was always present, always helpful, and always working alongside the staff with a smile. I have not seen anything close to that kind of leadership since she left. I went back a couple days later to try and speak with the manager about what happened, and of course I was told he wasn't there. At 11 AM. I keep hearing he "works at multiple stores" and is "very busy," but that is not an excuse to be completely unavailable to your own customers. Customer service should mean the customer actually matters. The staffing situation has also gotten noticeably worse. This store used to have three or four employees working in the evenings. Now there are only two during peak hours when everyone is getting off work. On top of that, I barely see the regular long-time employees anymore. That's really disappointing because I used to rely on familiar, knowledgeable staff. There is nothing wrong with hiring new employees, but they need actual training,that clearly is not happening. I've had multiple situations where employees didn't even know basics. I tried to buy alcohol and was told by a girl they couldn't carry or even ring it up. I was trying to buy champagne for my daughter's graduation, and instead I was basically stuck needing to find someone else while staring at a line of about 15 people. I ended up just leaving, completely frustrated. The front checkout area is another mess. The older woman working there is very kind and I do enjoy speaking with her, but she spends so much time chatting with customers that the line builds up while other employees are clearly overworked. With how busy it gets, there should be more cashiers and staff. At this point, I don't even bother coming in after 4 PM anymore because the wait times and lack of help are just ridiculous. Recently I stopped in to pick up my wife's medication and saw one employee running two registers while another cashier was just trying to keep up with customers. That is ridiculous! Another issue is employee health. I've seen staff working while clearly sick, coughing and sniffling. That makes me uncomfortable. If employees are sick, they should be sent home, and management should be prepared to cover shifts properly. I did notice one employee wearing a mask, which I appreciated, but it still shouldn't be happening in the first place. One of the more disgusting things I overheard heard was the manager, on the one occasion I actually saw him, telling employees as he was leaving to make sure they ask customers for "10s" on surveys. That immediately made me question how honest those ratings even are. I brought it up to a young blonde employee and she said that's exactly what she was told to do. When I said it didn't feel right, she apologized, but it's clear she's just following instructions.
I've also noticed vagrants outside the store asking for money and more theft happening inside and around the store. I know the store had issues before, but things feel noticeably worse now. It is sad to watch the store decline while the employees are left trying to handle everything with fewer people and less support. It's really frustrating. Overall, the new staff seems undertrained, the regular employees are barely around anymore, the store is understaffed in the evenings, the lines are constantly long, and the employees look completely overworked. It honestly feels like the store has lost all sense of customer service.
The previous Asian woman manager was the complete opposite of what I'm seeing now. She was always present, always helping, working side by side with employees, and actually visible when customers needed assistance. That is what good management looks like. I don't expect perfection, but I do expect proper training, enough staff, basic organization, and a manager who is actually there for customers. Right now, this store is nowhere near that, and I am extremely disappointed to say I no longer feel like a regular customer here. read more